Zapping the brain to ease social anxiety: small study shows promise
NCT ID NCT07099521
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether a gentle, non-invasive brain stimulation technique called HD-tDCS could reduce negative thinking patterns in 74 young adults with social anxiety. Participants received 10 sessions over 5 days, targeting a brain area linked to emotion control. The goal was to see if the stimulation could shift attention, interpretation, and memory away from negative social cues.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
Active substance
high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS)
What this could lead to
If effective, this could point toward a non-drug, brain-stimulation approach to help people with social anxiety think less negatively in social situations.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage study (74 people) with no phase designation. The effects may be small or not last long, and the results may not apply to everyone with social anxiety.
Disclaimer
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the original study
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Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
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Locations
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School of Psychology, South China Normal University
Guangzhou, China